Improvement in machines for cutting open ditches



Nirn rnfrns A'rnrrr OFFICE.

JASPER N. SMITH AND WILLIAM O. BUOKLEY, OF WASHINGTON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CUTTING OPEN DITGHES.

vSpecification forming part of Letters Patent N0. $0,880, dated August 1l, 1868.

T0 all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that we, JASPER N. SMiTH and VILLIAM O. BUCKLEY, of Washington, in the county of Tazewell, in the State of Illinois, have jointly invented a new Machine for Cutting Open Ditches, called Smith St Buckley7 s Open Ditcher 5 7 and we do hereby declarethe following to be a full, true, and accurate description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

To enable any other person or skilled workman to make and use our invention, we will describe it by the drawings and the letters of reference marked on the same.

Figure l in the drawings is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical elevation. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the dividing-frog with the wings attached. Fig. 5 is a vertical elevation ofthe same. Fig. 6 is a Vsectional view of the nose with the adjustable slides A A attached. Fig. 7 is a view of one of the slides for regulating the width of the side cuttingknives, B B. Fig. 8 is a view of a cap through which a bolt with a screw passes to hold the slide. I

XVe construct a frame of strong timber, (shown at D, Figs. l, 2, and 3,) substantially as shown in the drawings, of strength sufficient to sustain the labor required, under which we construct a scow, as shown at d, Fig. 1. Ve use no center beam, but hang the ditcher in the frame D, as shown in the drawings, thus avoiding all clogging under the beam, as in ordinary beam ditching-machines. The nose, Fig. 6, is madeusually of cast-iron, through which is a mortise, e. The front cutting-knife, F, Fig. l, passes into this niortise, and is keyed firmly in its place. The upper end of this front knife is firmly attached to the frame, The

substantially as shown in the drawings.

rear end of the nose is elevated, C, Fig. 3, avoiding friction. The side eutting-knives, B B, Fig. l, are firmly attached to the nose by a bolt passing through them, or in some other substantial way, allowing the upper ends to be moved or spread out to cut wider by means of the slotted braces b b. These braces are attached to the upper end of the side knives, and are held in place by a bolt passing through the slot, and by this means the upper end of the knives may be held irmly at the desired width, also attached to the nose on the slides A A by a bolt, so that the other end may be y moved by means of the lever a a, as shown by the dotted line, Fig. 2, and thus deliver a greater or less width as the machine is cutting.

The nose is held firmly in its place by means of the knives, and also by the brace H, through which are two rods, 7L h. (Shown by the dotted line in Fig. 3.)

The dividing-frog E, with the Wings, are constructed of iron of proper thickness.

Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The hanging the ditcher in a frame, as

shown in the drawings, thus avoiding the use V of a beam, and avoiding all clogging under the beam in machines which make use of it.

2. The movable slides A A, in connection with the movable knives B B, so constructed as to carry out a greater or less width of earth as the machine is cutting.

3. The form of the rear of the nose-that is, the rear carried up, as shown, to avoid friction, and expanded, as shown, to support the slides.

JASPER N. SMITH. VILLIAM O. BUOKLEY.

Witnesses J oHN LANGTON, Trios. H. Gnirrrrns. 

